Kelly McParland: Toronto needs unshackling from its tortured mayor

Maybe it was being lampooned by Jon Stewart that was the last straw for Rob Ford. It’s one thing to be mocked regularly in your own city, to be lampooned by local media outlets, to have the operations of the city sidelined by an endless parade of personal sideshows; it’s something else to become a target of global giggling.

The Daily Show is the big leagues for political mockery; featuring as a target of its ridicule is a direct affront to a city that desperately wants to be considered a serious, sophisticated, major league municipality. As ritual humiliation goes, Canada’s biggest city had just been elevated to an even higher plane.

Something must have happened between 8 a.m. and late morning. At breakfast time on Tuesday, mayoral brother Doug Ford was still actively engaged in Operation Deny Everything, accusing the city’s police chief of bias, as if being the mayor’s brother left him free of any such taint. Chief Bill Blair, he said, ” wanted to go out and put a political bullet right between the mayor’s eyes, and thought that would be the final bullet to knock the mayor off.”

Just a few hours later, the mayor appeared before the usual media madhouse outside his office to admit he’d been lying all along, and had indeed smoked crack cocaine. At least, he supposed he did: he was too drunk at the time to remember anything. His admission had all the surreal hallmarks of Ford politics: no one seemed to know it was going to happen until it did, it wasn’t very well organized, the few answers provided opened gaping new questions, and Mr. Ford lost his patience when pushed for more details and beat a premature retreat.

No one was sure why he’d suddenly decided to change his story, after so resolutely resisting so many demands that he come clean. No one could say what he expected to gain as a result. Maybe he thought that admitting the truth would, in itself, be enough to get people off his back. He’d already said he was sorry for drinking too much, for making a public spectacle of himself and for other unspecified “mistakes.” Why not just go all the way and own up to the drug allegations as well?

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But it wasn’t enough, and something else must have happened between the morning confession and his second press briefing five hours later, because again the story was escalated a notch. This time Doug was there, listening to his brother admit he’d lied to him along with everyone else in his family and office. He did it because he was too embarrassed to admit the truth, he said, and it “will never, ever happen again.”

In many ways it was the perfect Ford political drama. Rather than dealing with any of the many important affairs on its plate, the entire city came to a halt to gaze in wonder and bewilderment at the man it had chosen to run its affairs. The Rob Ford soap opera and travelling circus had managed once again to overwhelm the best competition for attention a region of 5.5 million could produce. It had reached beyond, requiring the federal justice minister to declare the mayor needs help, and the Ontario premier to express her concern while backing decisively away from any direct action.

Toronto, you’re on your own.

As the mayor made his first announcement, council members were already circulating motions aimed at removing his powers. If they can’t physically oust him from his office, perhaps they could prevent him from exercising its prerogatives. After the second announcement, during which he made clear he fully intends to hang onto whatever shred of the mayoralty he can, it seemed more crucial than ever to save the city from further disruption.

Mr. Ford needs to get help. Pledging to be a better mayor and more admirable human being down the road isn’t enough. It’s a sad tale, but the city can’t cease to operate while an elected leader struggles with personal demons. Whatever legal alternatives exist to minimize his remaining powers should be exercised by whatever authorities have it in their capacity. The city and Mr. Ford are not inseparable; once he is in control of his personal life again, he can turn his mind to his political future. But until then the city needs to be unshackled.